Jar top wrench



Aug. 25, 1936. G, H, FRQEUCH 2,052,458-

J'AR TOP WRENCH Filed Feb. 25, 1933 L 4 TToRNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1936 I UNIT-ED STATI-3sk JAR 'ror WRENCH Gustave Harry Froelich, Torrington, Conn., assignor to The Turner and Seymour Manufacturing Company, Torrington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February .23, 1933, Serial No. 658,086

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for removingV theY tops or caps of jars, bottles, .and other containers, and has for an object to provide a device which may also be used to apply the caps to the jars.

My invention is adapted particularly for use with jar tops of the type having threaded engagement with the jar, and an object of the invention is to provide a jar top wrench which is automatically adjustable for different sizes of jar tops.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench which will automatically grip the jar top as the wrench is turned in the direction in which it is desired to turn the top, the device being so designed that the greater the resistance to turning the more tightly will the top be gripped.

It will be understood that it is desirable not only to provide means for unscrewing a screw cap, but also for screwing the same tightly upon the jar so as to effect a tight seal. To this end my invention provides a device having gripping jaws which move from a wide open position into gripping engagement with the jar top as the device is turned in either screwing or unscrewing direction.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description of a preferred embodiment, and thereafter the novelty andscope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing;

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2;

liig,Y 2 is a bottom plan View of the device with the gripping members in their widest open position;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan viewof the device, partly broken away, showing the gripping members in a partly closed position; and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the device applied to the screw cap of a jar.l

My improved jar top wrench comprises a frame plate Iii in which is journalled the vertical stem II of a handle I2. As shown in Fig. 1 the stem has a reduced extension I3 which passes through an aperture in the plate and is fixed at its inner end to a disk I 4. Secured to the inside of the plate IIl is an intermediate plate I5 ci the same thickness as the disk. This plate I5 has a circular opening therein forming a socket to receive the disk. Secured to the intermediate frame plate I5 is a pair of inner frame plates I6. The

latter are provided with downwardly and inwardly turned marginal flanges to provide slideways I1 for a; pair of U-shaped slide plates I8 and I9 respectively. Obviously the frame plates III, I5 and I6 could be integrally formed, although in the particular embodiment illustrated they have, for

convenience of manufacture, been made of sep` arate pieces of sheet metal riveted together.

The .U-shaped slide plates I8 and I9 are set with their legs in' opposed position, and one slide plate is adapted to slide over the other. The yoke member of each u-shaped plate is provided with a downturned flange. These flanges, which are indicated at 20 and 2| respectively, serve as gripping jaws. The slide plates are connected by links 22 and 23 respectively to the disk I4, the connection to the disk being adjacent to the periphery thereof, so that as the disk is turned the links will cause the slide plates to move in their slideways.

`lelinks lie in the plane of the inner frame plates it, and the latter are so shaped as to form recesses 24 and 25 providing clearance for said links respectively.

It will be obvious that when* the links are diametrically aligned, as shown in Fig. 2, the jaws 2G and 2l will be at their maximum spacing and thereafter, no matter in which direction the handle is turned, the links will draw the jaws toward each other. The limit of inward movement will be reached when the edge of one link engages the edge of the other on a line passing through the center of the disk. Fig. 4 shows the parts at an intermediate position, the disk having beenturned clockwise from the position shown in Fig.. 2. Had the disk been turned in the opposite direction through the same angle the jaws would occupy the same position but the links. would then be angled reversely as indicated in dotted lines. Y

In useQsuppose it `be desired to unscrew a jar top 26 from a jar 21. The handle is turned in such direction as to open the jaws or spread them apart suciently to span the top of the jar. Then, after the device has been placed on the jar with the jaws lapping over the opposite edges of the jar top, the handle is turned in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in Fig. 5. This will result in drawing the jaws together until they grip the jar top, and thenv further turning will result in unscrewing the jar top. The degree of pressure exerted by the jaws will depend upon the resistance to turning oiered by the jar top. Thus the device will adjust itself automatically to the conditions it has to meet .and will impose no greater gripping action than is necessary to secure a rm hold for the device on the jar top.

Suppose now, that it is desired to screw the top upon the jar. Then all that is necessary is to turn the handle in the direction of the dotted arrow and the jaws will at first release their grip on the jar top until they have passed the diametric position shown in Fig. 2, after which further turning in the same direction will cause them to grip the jar top and then turn the jar top in a direction to screw the same upon the jar.

It will be understood that the disk I4 is actually a double-throw crank, that is, a crank having two crank arms extending in divergent directions usually degrees apart. The disk I4 may be considered as having two arms extending in opposite directions from a diametric line normal to that passing through the pivots of links 22 and 23.

WhilevI have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is to be taken as illustrative and not limitative, and that I reserve the right to make such changes in form, construction, and arrangement of parts as fall within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A wrench for jar tops, comprising a frame, a pair of jaws carried thereby, at least one of the jaws being slidable toward and from the other, the handle for the frame mounted to rotate therein on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the slidable jaw, a crank xed to the handle and rotatable in the frame, and a link operatively connecting the crank to such slidable jaw, the point of connection of the link to the crank being such that the latter jaw may be moved toward the other jaw to grip .a jar top upon rotation of the crank in either direction and the jar top may then be turned by continuing the movement of the handle in the same direction.

2. A wrench for jar tops, comprising a frame, a pair of jaws reciprocable therein toward and from each other to engage opposite sides of a. jar top, a handle for the frame mounted to rotate therein on an axis normal to the direction of reciprocation of the jaws, a double-throw crank fixed to the handle and rotatable in the frame between the jaws, and a pair of links pivoted to the crank at diametrically opposite points and connected respectively to said jaws, the points of connection of the links to the cranks being such that upon rotation of the handle in either direction the jaws may be moved into gripping relation with the jar top and the jar top may then be turned by further movement of the handle in the same direction.

3. A wrench for jar tops, comprising a frame, a handle secured to the center of the frame and rotatable therein, a disk xed to the handle, a

pair of jaws mounted in the frame on opposite sides of the axis of the disk and reciprocable toward and from each other, and links pivotally connecting the jaws to diametrically opposite points on the disk, whereby the jaws may be moved to gripping relation with the jar top by rotation of the handle either in screwing or unscrewing direction and the jar top may then be turned by Lfurther movement of the handle in the same direction.

4. A wrench for jar tops, comprising a frame plate formed on its under surface with a pair of slideways, a pair of members slidable one above the other in said slideways, each member comprising a pair of legs connected by a yoke, the legs of each member extending toward the yoke of the other, a jaw depending from each yoke, a rotary disk mounted in the frame above the plane of the slideways, a handle rotatable in the frame and fixed to the disk, and a pair of links connecting the yokes respectively to the disk at diametrically opposite points on said disk, the links where connected to the disk lying above the plane of the slideways so that the disk may be turned in either direction until stopped by edgewise engagement of one link with the other.

5. In a Wrench, the combination of a frame having radial slideways on its under side, gripping jaws slidable in said slideways, a central shaft rotatable in said frame, a handle on said shaft, a crank fast on the inner end of said shaft, and rigid links pivoted to and connecting said crank and jaws, each of said links functioning as a pull member when moving said jaws inwardly and as a push member when moving said jaws outwardly.

6. A wrench for jar tops, comprising a frame, jaws reciprocable therein toward and from each other, a handle for the frame and mounted to rotate therein on an axis normal to the plane of reciprocation of the jaws, and actuating means driven by the handle for reciprocating the jaws upon rotation of the handle in either direction, whereby the jaws may be moved into gripping engagement with a jar top when the handle is moved either in screwing or unscrewing direction and after such gripping relation has been established the top may be turned by continuing the movement of the handle.

7. In a wrench, the combination of a frame having radial slideways on its under side, jaws slidable in said slideways and having grips on their outer ends, a central shaft rotatable in said frame, a handle on said shaft, a multiple arm crank fast on the inner end of said shaft below said frame, and rigid links pivoted to and connecting said crank and jaws, each of said links functioning as a pull member when moving said jaws inwardly and as a push member when moving said jaws outwardly.

GUSTAVE HARRY FROELICH. 

